FOOD ETC.: It's hard to beat taste of a homemade doughnut fresh out of the fryer

By Joan HuffMRT Correspondent

Published 7:00 pm, Tuesday, April 27, 2010

When I was in elementary school, I spent the night with a friend and I still remember getting up in the morning to find her mom in the kitchen making homemade doughnuts. Unless you have connections with the local doughnut bakers, I don’t know how often you have the chance to eat a hot doughnut fresh out of the oven or deep fryer. The taste is hard to beat.

You may think of doughnuts as a no-no food, but when a magazine such as Cooking Light comes out with recipes for this treat, they deserve a closer look.

Deep-frying is the traditional method of making doughnuts. Choose a neutrally flavored oil such as safflower or peanut, but vegetable shortening or lard will work as well. Use enough to cover the doughnuts.

Heat oil to desired temperature (usually 365 to 375). A candy thermometer or large dial thermometer should be hooked on the side of the pot. Oil can begin to burn between 400 and 450 degrees and can catch fire at 500 degrees, so watch your temperature. Reduce the heat to low once it has reached the correct temperature. If it goes down too much, increase it a little bit to regain the temperature.

Instead of frying, the doughnuts can be baked in pans that have small doughnut-shaped indentions in them.

Old Fashioned Doughnuts

From “Country Woman Christmas Annual 2005”

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Oil for deep-fat frying

Confectioners’ sugar

In a large bowl, beat sour cream and buttermilk until smooth. Beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla just until combined. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture just until combined (dough will be sticky). Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375. Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, for 3 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Fry doughnut holes until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired. Yield: about 1 1/2 dozen doughnuts plus doughnut holes.

Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Place the biscuits on a cutting board. Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter or shot glass, cut a hole in the center of each biscuit, reserving the extra dough for “holes.”

Test the heat of the oil by dipping the edge of a doughnut in the pan. When the oil is hot enough, the edge will bubble. Place 4 of the doughnuts and holes in the skillet and cook until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, reheat, and cook the remaining doughnuts and holes.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Gently toss the warm doughnuts in the mixture a few at a time. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spoon batter into a large resealable plastic bag. Cut off a corner and squeeze batter into prepared indents, about 2/3 full. Smooth tops. Bake at 325 for 13 minutes, until doughnuts spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pan on rack 3 minutes, then carefully turn out directly onto rack to cool.

Glazed Donuts

From “Secrets from the Southern Living Test Kitchen”

1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast

2 Tablespoons warm water (100-110 degrees)

3/4 cup warm milk (100 to 110 degrees)

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg

2 1/2 cups bread flour

Vegetable oil

Glaze

Combine yeast and warm water in a 1-cup liquid measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes. Combine yeast mixture, milk, next 6 ingredients, and 1 cup flour in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer about 2 minutes or until blended. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups flour. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees) free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down; turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead several times. Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness, and cut with a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter. Place doughnuts on a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches in a Dutch oven; heat to 375. Cook doughnuts 4 or 5 at a time in hot oil about 1 minute or until golden on 1 side; turn and cook other side about 1 minute. Drain well on paper towels. Dip each doughnut while warm in glaze, letting excess drip off. Cool on wire racks. Yield: 1 1/2 dozen.

Glaze:

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

Combine ingredients and stir until smooth. Yield: 2/3 cup.

Apple Cider Doughnuts

From Eating Well, March/April 1995

Approximately 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar for preparing pans

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup apple butter

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup apple cider

1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt

3 Tablespoons canola oil

Maple glaze

1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4-1/3 cup pure maple syrup

To make doughnuts: Preheat oven to 400. Coat molds of mini-Bundt pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle with granulated sugar, shaking out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl; set aside. Whisk together egg, brown sugar, apple butter, 1/3 cup maple syrup, cider, yogurt and oil in another bowl. Add dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Divide half the batter among the prepared molds, spooning about 2 generous tablespoonfuls of batter into each mold.

Bake until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Loosen edges and turn the cakes out onto a rack to cool. Clean the mini-Bundt pan, the re-coat it with cooking spray and sugar. Repeat with the remaining batter.

To make maple-glaze: Combine confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Gradually whisk in enough maple syrup to make a coating consistency. Dip the shaped side (underside) of the “doughnuts” in the glaze to coat. Then set them, glazed side up on a rack over wax paper for a few minutes until the glaze has set.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 375. In a large bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, mace and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Create a well in the center of the mixture, and pour in milk, canola oil and egg. Thoroughly stir into the mixture.

In batches, drop the mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls into the hot oil. Fry on all sides, 2 to 4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. In a resealable plastic bag, mix 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. While still warm, place balls a few at a time into the bag and toss to coat.